Typewriting machine



Aug. 23, 1932.

F. u. CONARD TYPEWRITING MACHIEEE Original Filed Feb. 16, 1929 ,ATTORNEYZ Patented Aug. 23, 1932 5UNI1TEDTSTATES PATE-TfQEFI ET FREDERICK U. 001mm), or srRArroRn, CONNECTICUT, AssieNoR 'ro unnnRwoon ELLIOTT FISHER COMPANY, or ix'r'sw yoan, n z nooaroRnrrom or DELAWARE TYPEWRITING iviiicriiitn Original'application filed lebruary 16,1929, Serial No. 340,533. Divided and this application filed 27,

sp al No: new;

This invention relates to improvements in line-space levers for typewriting machines, and more especially to those of the portable type, where conservation of. space is of paramount importance, and wherein lightness, accessibility, cheapness and durability; are essential. Heretofore, in order to produce portable typewriters as's'mall as possible, platen-knobs'have not, generally, been used on the left-hand side of the carriage. ()ne ofthe features of this invention, therefore, is the provision of such a platen-knob, which is easy of access by the operator and one which does not increase the total width of the machine.

Another feature relates to the novel form and location of the lever which is mounted sufiiciently away from the platen-knob so that the latter isaccessible and without adding to the extreme dimensions of the machine.

Another feature relates to-the process by which the levers are manufactured, whereby the levers may be formed by a cold process of a single piece of metal, making them rug"- ged, strong and durable. One of the advantages of this process lies in the tact that the levers can be made of metals not susceptible to heat treatment as the parts need not be heated to go through theseoperations. An other advantage of the process for manufacturing the levers is the saving of metal used during this construction, so that the scrap metal is a mini1'num.- The levers are also made/of such a shape as to be easily finished by'polishing and plating, or otherwise. The levers have no joints, crevices or corners to retain dirt as they would have if made of several separate pieces assembled together.

Portable machines are made as low in height'and as compact as possible largely to permit the use of a small earryingeasc, and, to this end, another feature of this invention is the provision of a finger-piece pivoted to the end of the lever and which extends above Other features and advantages will hereinthe other parts ofthe-machine andis easily accessible when. in useybut which may be p i turned down against thepressure of; a spring by the cover-10f the carrying case-when being closedy This feature greatly reduces the height of'thecase.

In this invention the left hand platen-knob occupies the usual position with referenceto the platen, but as this location is ordinarily occupied by the line-space leverin portable machines, the'lever in this'case'has been bent upwardly' and forwardly, forming an ofiset in which space formed thereby the knob-may be"locatedand wherexit isreadily accessible by the operator. The lever in plan view'may be substantially T-shaped, composed ofa 1ongitudinal long arm and a lateral short arm across the end oftheilongarmr The short V armextends both side'softhe end of the long I arm; One end of the short lateral arm 1s Q pivoted to the carriage, whilethe other end is. pivoted to and actuates, the line-s'pacing mechanism of thepla ten. The free end of the long arm is provided withtwo integral lugs forming along with a pivot-screw, in part, a 1

bearingfor a finger piece pivoted thereto and which is urged'by aspringtowards a vertical position," The finger-piece; is constructed so that it may be depressed by closing the cover of the case, inwhich may be mounted, and'whi'ch act rocks thel'hngerpiece from a vertical-to a longitudinalxposition, permitting the cover to close! When 'th'e 'oover of the case is raised, the finger.-

piece automatic-ally raises, by "means of the springfto its vertical operating "position,

readyfor usei v V 1 This is a division of my. application Sena-l N0. 34:0,533, filed 'February'16,-1929.

therein.

a typewriter, having this invention embodied Figure 2 is a plan View of the spacing lever after it has been blanked out of sheet-metal.

Figure 8 is a side view of Figure2.

Figure 4 is a view of the lever shown in Figures 1 and 2, after it has been twisted a one-quarter turn.

Figure 5 is a v1ew of the lever shown in t Figure 4, after it has been swedged in' the forming die.

Figure 6 is a -,transverse section through Figure i5 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows 6-6.

Figure 7 s a side view of the lever shown in Figure 5. 1 i

FigureS 1s 'a viewofthe lever'after the raw Figure 12 is a .plan view "(if the assembled parts, as shown in Figure 1,1illnstrating the accessibility ofthep'lateneknob.

Referring to the drawing, :a platen 15 is rotatably mounted on :a platen-shaft (not shown), journaled "carriage 16 ofthe typewriter. The platen 15 'h'as'2an associated ratchet-wheel 5L7 secured-thereto, which is rotated "by a pawl 18,1iivotaHy-nttached to :a

"slidehar 19.. 'Theparwl 1811s normally disengaged from the ratchet-wheel ibya seat secured toith'erframe of the. carriage, so that when the slide .19 moves .zbackwardttaking the pawl 18 with 2it,.the flatter drops into en- ,gagement with "the ratchet-teeth and rotates the wheel 17' andmmiseqnently dzhe platen "15 thel desiredta mount. 'Ahspuing' 20 is attached at one -endatoiasscrewt2 l,.and ath'e other .end' to [the "carriage, whereby the parts :are returned to their iiniti al position, as shown in Figure 1 a V The slide-bar 19 iszslidably mounted on'the carriage .16, actuatedzby the :lever 25,:and has a log "23', into which isithreaded "the screw .21. The latter has a shank which forms :apivot forfthe 21113-11124 on the lever 25. Another arm 26 won the "lever 25 ris pivoted on the shank of 7' aiscrew 27, which :is threaded into a pivot- -.=hlock 28 that is :attached to the end frame :of

the carriage; The a'rmsz24 and :26, provided with bosses129 and36 having h'oles 39 and '40,

v respectivelyyare all integral withthe leverarm 31. The latter is offset at 32:and33.,*Fig- Fure 110, to'ilieiin an approximately parallel plane to that of the arm'sr24 and 26. a

With reference 'tQIthe tprooess :ef making the lever 25 of one piece of metal, attention is called t0 the *fact v .th-at :here'tofore it h as not "been possible to swedge side extensions forming lugs similar to 136 and 37 on a lever of this kind without using an excessive i lateral curve. 47

by a cold swedging process, as follows. The

part that is to become a lever 25 is first punched out of sheet metal, as a blank, which may have a thickness somewhat less than the present embodiment of the invention the sheet metal is one-quarter of an inch-thick, while the lugs 86 and 37"are five-sixteenths' of an inch at the bottom and tapering off toward the top, as shown in Figure 11. y This invention'is,"however, applicable for making levers 'of'ma'ny sizes and shapes, and is not limited to any given dimensions. 'The blank 46, as shown in Figure 2, in this punching operation,is formed with .a side projection orterminal 45, Figure 2, at one end thereof, which is later on in the process, to form the lugs 36, 37. The blank is made with the short armsi24, :26 forming a terminal "at'i the-other end. The blank .46 is formed with the portion between the terminals "having a" slight tween the terminals, as shownat51 in:Fi'gure 4. The curve .47 in'the long =arm'3-1'1isrso formed in the blank 46 that when the 'blank desired, as in Figures 8 and 9. Durin g' ithe The blank 46 may now be given a twist through ninety degrees vibe- 'width of the finished lugs 36, 37. In the swedging operation the top of the lever is arched by the die to give it greater rigidity,

and, whenfinished, this arc'h'ed top 84, F ig- "ure 5, presents a pleasingappearance. The

' lever may be given several swedging operations in the die to harden the metal and ma'ke the lever stiffer. Thelu'g 35 on the end of the long arm 31, thus formed,-may be milled I across to form two lugs 36 and 87, which form, in part, the hinge for the finger piece 43.

Both lugs 36 and'37 are drilled, and one lug tapped to receive the screw 38, forming'th'e pivot upon which the finger-piece'43 rocks. The finger-piece is provided with two ears 42. Aspiral spring 44 on'the pivotscrew 38 tends to retain the'finger-piece 48 'insits' vertical position, shown in-Figure 1. The sprin'g44 yields upon-the coverof thecase (not shown), v

being closed upon the finger-piece 43, making it rock downwardly under the cover.

Figure 11 illustrates the lever in its final shape,bef0re being assembled withthe fingerpiece 43 and other parts, and before mounting in the carriage of the machine. I

Figure 12'shows-"the relation of the platenknob 49 tothe lever 25, looking from the top. From this view it is seen that the long arm 31 of the lever 25 is mounted to theright of the knob 49, so that accessibility to the same is secured.

The finger-piece 43 is curved to form a finger-grip as shown in Figure 1.

To operate the lever disclosed herein for line-spacing, after the cover of the case has been removed and the finger-piece has assumed its vertical position, as shown in Figure 1, the finger of the operator engages the curved finger-piece 43 and presses it to the right. This swings the lever 25'on the pivotscrew 27 and moves the short arm 24 rearwardly. The latter moves the reciprocating slide-bar 19 with it, and also the pawl 18" pivoted thereto. During the first part of this motion the pawl 18 slides off the seat 50 and engages one of the teeth of the ratchetwheel 17, moving the same through the desired letter-space distance. Continued pressure against the finger-piece 43 moves the carriage to the right of the machine, ready for typing another line. Upon removing the finger from the finger-piece 43, the lever 25 returns, by reason of the pull of the spring 20, to its initial position, taking the slide-bar 19 and the pawl 18 with it, until finally the pawl 18 again engages the seat 50, and is raised thereby out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel 17 thus permitting the free rotation of the platen in either direction by hand, if so desired.

The'very light line-spacing lever 31 has the advantages of sheet-metal, and has the further object that a pair of integral front ears 36, 37 extend down therefrom. Said ears would be impossible in a sheet-metal lever. The finger-piece 43 is presented between the lever and the hand of the operator, so that the drive of the hand is transmitted through the finger-piece directly against the side edge of the lever, which forms a bearing between 36 and 37, the result being the same as if the hand were pressed against the lever directly.

There is no pivoting action of the fingerpiece at 38 during the line-spacing operation. The finger-piece is very small. There is no relative motion of the finger-piece and lever while the machine is in use. 1

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In an encassed portable typewriting machine, the combination with a platen and a platen-framehaving an end, of a line-space lever mounted at its rear upon said end and extending forwardly from the platen-frame, and having at its front end a pair of integral pendent ears, one behind the other, the edge of said lever between said ears forming a bearing, and a thin finger-plate standing having at its bottom a pair of cars bent in and housed between the pendent ears upon said line-space lever, and a pintle whereby said finger-plate ears are hinged to said lever-ears, said finger-plate bein depressiwriter, and having a return sprin FREDERIOKVU. o NARD.

ble by the cover of the casing o the type- 

